Blood and Sand
by ImaginaryAngel2014
Summary: After not seeing her brothers for three years, Ava is finally heading to Summer Bay to surprise them, leaving a dark past behind her and hoping for a fresh start... How will she settle in, and will she be able to keep her past away from her protective big brothers?
1. Chapter 1

Ava stepped off the bus, her hood up to hide the bruises that covered her face, and looked around. Summer Bay didn't seem like the sort of place that her brothers would live in, but it had been three years since she had even spoken to them, and she knew better than anyone that a lot can change in that time.

Walking along the beach a little, Ava spotted a diner and headed inside, taking a seat in the far corner, and pulling out her phone. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed the piece of paper with her brothers number on it, and dialed, hitting the call button. It seemed to ring forever, before it went to voicemail, and Ava listened waiting for the beep so that she could leave a message.

"Brax, it's Ava... I'm in Summer Bay at some diner... can you just come and get me please?" Ava said hanging up, and putting the phone back into her pocket.

"Can I get you anything darl?" A lady asked as she approached the table, making Ava jump a little, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," Ava replied her voice quiet as she reached into her pocket for her money, "Could I just get a black coffee please?"

"Sure thing," The lady said walking away, and returning five minutes later with her coffee, "Here you go, is there anything I can help you with... I've not seen you around here before?"

"I'm just waiting for someone," Ava mumbled keeping her eyes on the table, and her head bowed so that the woman couldn't see her face.

"That's okay, if you need anything else just give me a shout."

Ava drank her coffee, glancing up at the door every now and again, hoping to see Brax walk in but so far he hadn't. She had been sitting staring into her empty cup for half an hour, when a familiar voice caught her attention, and she looked up to see her brother Casey walking in with a group of people. She watched him approach the counter, before standing up and leaving the diner, bumping into someone as she did.

"I'm sorry," Ava stated not looking up until a pair of strong hands grabbed her arms, making her flinch and look up at the person holding her, "Brax."

Brax stared at her for a few minutes, shock clear on his face, and Ava couldn't help but turn her gaze down to the floor. After a few minutes, he pulled her into a hug, and Ava couldn't hold back the tears anymore allowing them to fall down her face.

"Come on, lets get you out of here," Brax whispered guiding Ava away from the diner, and down onto the beach. They didn't walk for long, before sitting down on the sand, and staring out at the ocean which stretched out before them. The sea breeze made Ava shiver, pulling her out of her stupor, and only then did she realize that Brax was watching her, "What happened?"

"I said some things that I should have kept to myself, and I got punished for it," Ava stated noticing the anger flash in Brax's eyes.

"Do they know you left?" Brax asked.

"They probably do by now, and it won't take them long to figure out where I am, so I won't stick around long... I just really wanted to see you, Heath and Casey."

"Why didn't you come before or call?"

"I've run away loads of times, but because I didn't know where you were, I had nowhere to go. I had help this time...," Ava explained.

"From who?"

"Someone I met in the city, she's done business with Rex a few times."

Brax nodded, turning when he heard his name being called, and stood up when they were approached by a brunette woman, who eyed Ava suspiciously. Ava wasn't very good around strangers, since she rarely got to go out in the city, and if she did it would be to somewhere she had been numerous times... a drugs delivery or a money collection of some sort.

"Who's this?" The brunette asked as Ava stepped closer to Brax.

"Charlie, this is Ava my little sister... Ava this is Charlie my girlfriend."

"Sister?" Charlie repeated.

"It's a long story, but I'll explain everything later... I really need to get her back to the house."

Charlie was still staring at Ava, who was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable, and was playing with her bag strap to distract herself. After what seemed like hours, Charlie kissed Brax's cheek, and walked away, glancing over a few time before leaving the beach.

Brax didn't say anything, instead he slipped his arm around her shoulders, and guided her towards a truck. The drive was silent, although Ava could feel Brax watching her out the corner of his eye, and kept her gaze on the scenery that rushed by.

Ava soon found herself in a kitchen, with Brax cleaning up the cut above her eye, and getting rid of the blood that she had missed. He hadn't spoken since they left the beach, apart from a few muttered 'sorrys' when she flinched as he dabbed the cut, and she was starting to think that she had made him angry.

"Why don't you go take a shower... I'll get you a towel and then we can talk some more?" Brax suggested when he was satisfied with his clean up job.

"Okay."

Ava waited for a towel, then locked the bathroom door, undressing and stepping under the shower. The water washed over her, as she laid her head against the tiled wall, and allowed the tears to fall down her face... the mixture of emotions that she was feeling too much to handle.


	2. Chapter 2

After she had showered, Ava headed back into the kitchen where Brax was sitting, and reached for the cup of coffee that he had poured her. Glancing over at her older brother, she could tell that there was a lot on his mind, and she knew that he had questions for her which she would answer as best she could.

There was so much that had happened over the last three years that she wanted to keep to herself, but she would tell him about everything else, some things were just best kept in the dark, and Ava knew that telling Brax would only do more harm than good. Brax finally looked up from his coffee cup, and looked at his sister, before speaking.

"Where were you?" Brax asked causing Ava to frown a little, "For the last three years I mean, where were you?"

"Melbourne for a while, then the city... we moved around quite a bit, once Rex and dad decided that they had over stayed their welcome."

"Why did you get hurt?"

"I asked to see you... I should have known better, for the first few months that was all I asked, and every time dad would lose his temper. I stopped asking after that, but as time went by and things became more hectic, all I wanted to do was see my big brothers...," Ava mumbled feeling the tears form but refusing to let them fall.

"What do you mean hectic?"

"At first they were just dealing, making drops and collecting money... like you used to... but then things escalated. They started getting reckless with their deals, operating where other people had business, and from time to time they would run into trouble with other dealers," Ava explained, "Of course, that didn't stop them, they just dragged me to the next piece of territory, and started all over again."

"Did they get you involved in it?" Brax inquired seriously.

"Sometimes, they would make me do deliveries... said that I was earning my keep, but it was just because people wouldn't be as suspicious of me dropping off packages," Ava said watching as Brax's hands balled into fists, but relaxed when he saw the slight hint of fear that flashed through Ava's eyes.

The conversation was interrupted with the front door slamming shut, and the sound of laughter filling the air, as Ava looked at Brax who had gotten up. He motioned for her to stay put, and she nodded moving so that she could hear what was going on, but couldn't be seen.

"What's got you guys in such a good mood?" Brax asked as he walked into the living room.

"Great surf today dude, where you been?"

"I've been dealing with something important," Brax replied, "Now that you're all here actually, I have something that I need to tell you."

"What's going on?"

"Ava's in town," Brax announced causing the entire room to fall silent.

"Who's Ava?" Someone asked but his voice wasn't familiar.

"Wait, where is she?"

"Ava," Brax said and Ava reluctantly stepped into the room. Heath and Casey both stared at her, before both rushing forward and hugging her, which made her chuckle. The other guy that Ava didn't know, simply stood to the side and watched the siblings interact for a few moments, before Brax cleared his throat drawing their attention to him, "Kyle this is Ava, our sister... Ava this is Kyle, our brother."

"It's nice to meet you Ava," Kyle added with a small smile.

"You too," Ava replied returning the smile, before averting her gaze to the ground.

"Why don't me and Ava go pick up some dinner from Angelo's?" Brax suggested earning nods of agreement from the others.

Ava followed Brax out to the ute, grateful for a little bit of space to clear her head, and allow the fact that she had another brother sink in. The thing about being a Braxton was that they never did things being halves, Kyle was their brother which meant he was family, and that was the only thing that mattered.

Brax pretty much brought Ava, Heath and Casey up, teaching them that no matter what was happening in your life, that family always came first and she had never forgotten that. It takes a lot more than simply bringing a baby into the world to be a parent, but their mum had never really been in a suitable state to look after children, and their dad was a mean drunk who liked nothing more than beating his kids to make them less soft... at least that was his excuse.

Ava idolised her brothers, each for different reasons but it was Brax that she looked up to above anyone else, and that hadn't changed. She wasn't to sure what to make of Kyle yet, after all she hadn't known him for long enough to really make a judgment, but she did know that her brothers trusted him and that was enough for her.

"You okay?" Brax asked cutting through Ava's thoughts.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"Anything exciting going on in that brain of yours?"

"I was just thinking about when I was younger that's all, before everything changed... it's something I've done a lot since the day dad took me," Ava explained glancing over at her brother as they pulled up to Angelo's and got out.

Brax waited until Ava was beside him, before heading inside, and placing an order for a variety of different food. He smiled at Ava, putting his arm around her shoulders, and chuckling when Ava hugged him.

"I'm not going to let them take you anywhere again, I promise," Brax mumbled against her hair as he gently kissed her head.


	3. Chapter 3

After they took the food back, the night seemed to fly by, and soon enough Ava was lying on Casey's bedroom floor staring at the ceiling. She hadn't slept properly for a few months, plagued by nightmares of some of the things she had seen, and no matter how tired she got, sleep hardly ever came.

Getting up quietly so that she didn't wake Casey, Ava crept out into the living room, and turned on the television. She had been curled up on the sofa for nearly an hour, when Heath emerged from his room, and sat down beside her.

"Can't sleep?" Heath said.

"I don't sleep much," Ava replied pausing before speaking again, "Does it ever get easier?"

"Does what get easier?"

"Knowing that mum and dad will never really care, or be there?"

"I learnt a long time ago that our parents are never going to change, but yeah it gets easier, and you have four brothers right here to help you when things get hard... you just have to trust us enough to let us in."

Ava was silent for a few seconds, before she turned her full attention to Heath, and looked down at her hands. She couldn't hide stuff from her brothers, she had never been able too and she didn't want to suffer in silence anymore, besides telling them one thing wasn't going to reveal everything she had been through.

"I don't sleep much because of nightmares," Ava mumbled looking down at her hands.

"What are they about?"

"Just stuff that I've seen, stuff that I know you and Brax would never let me see, or be present for... dad said that it was to harden me up."

"That was always his excuse," Heath stated his voice suddenly low, "You don't have to worry about that now."

"I know, but I'm still scared that if I close my eyes that the nightmares will still be there... dad told me that that meant I wasn't a real Braxton if something as simple as a nightmare scared me."

"Dad's views on what makes a Braxton are a little different to ours firefly," Heath explained using the nickname he had given her when she was younger, "Anything bad he said about you is lies Ava, he may have been with you for the last three years, but me, Brax and Casey were there for the first thirteen... we know you better than anyone else."

"Heath, do you trust Kyle?" Ava asked.

" At first none of us trusted him, a lot happened around his arrival, but it's different now... we got to know him, and his still our brother."

"Blood and sand," Ava mumbled looking up at Heath who smiled and nodded.

"Yeah firefly, blood and sand."

Heath pulled Ava so that she was next to him, and she curled into his side, watching television until she finally drifted off to sleep. She woke up the following morning to find all her brothers in the kitchen eating breakfast, and quietly stood at the door looking at the ground.

"Morning firefly," Heath said grinning at her, "How did you sleep?"

"Okay," Ava mumbled as all her brothers stared at her.

"Come sit down, and have some breakfast," Brax added motioning to the empty seat beside him.

Ava hesitated momentarily, before taking the seat next to Brax, and watching as he made her up a plate of breakfast. She ate in silence, listening to the conversation going on around her, and she felt comfortable... almost like she had never left.

"Hey Ava, do you want to maybe hang out with me today?" Kyle inquired pulling her attention away from her food, "It'll be nice to get to know my little sister, but only if you want to."

"That sounds good," Ava replied with a smile.

"We can go to the beach, or go get some lunch," Kyle suggested.

"I have a better idea," Brax added to Kyle, "Why don't you take Ava shopping, she needs some new clothes, and other girl stuff that we obviously don't have."

"What do you think Ava?"

"Okay, you don't have to buy me stuff though."

"I want to, you're my sister and I'm going to look out for you, so just let me alright?" Brax said.

Ava nodded, getting up to get changed, and returned once she was ready to head out with Kyle. Brax handed her some money, which she placed in her pocket, kissing his cheek and following Kyle out the front door. They shopped for a couple of hours, making sure that Ava had everything she needed, and then headed to the diner for something to eat. It had been a good day, and Ava had really connected with Kyle, which was what she had wanted.

"That was fun," Kyle stated as they sat at a table.

"Yeah, it was," Ava replied.

"What can I get you kids?" The same waitress that served her the day before asked.

"Can I get a coffee and a cheeseburger please Irene?"

"Sure thing, what about you darl?" Irene added turning to Ava.

"Can I Just have an orange juice and a hamburger?"

"I'll bring it over when it's ready."

Kyle left Ava at the table while he went to the bathroom, but as soon as he left Ava spotted two people walk in who looked familiar, and they spotted her straight away, making their way over. Ava was starting to panic, looking over to where Kyle had disappeared, and immediately spotted him coming back over to her.

"If it isn't baby Braxton," Andy Barrett said as he and his brother Josh reached the table, "Where's your dad?"

"I don't know."

"Is there a problem here?" Kyle asked from behind Ava placing his hands on her shoulders comfortingly.

"Nah there's no problem, we'll see you around," Andy added to Ava as he left following by his brother.


	4. Chapter 4

After the diner they headed to Angelo's where Brax was sat doing paperwork, and Casey was helping Heath put away bottles of alcohol behind the bar. As soon as they arrived Kyle went to offer a hand, while Ava took a seat beside Brax who looked at her and smiled.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Brax asked motioning to the bags that Ava had placed on the floor at her feet.

"Yeah, Kyle made sure I picked up everything," Ava replied returning the smile, "Do you need any help or can I go sit down on the beach for a little while?"

"I think we have everything under control, we'll be heading home in about an hour," Brax said.

"Okay, I'll be back by then."

Ava left Angelo's, heading down onto the beach, and sitting on the sand looking out over the ocean. It was surprising how relaxing the beach was, with the sound of waves washing up over the sand, and birds flying around overhead... Ava didn't understand why she felt so at home by the water but she did, and she always had.

She allowed her mind to wander as she watched the sun reflecting off the water, creating a diamond like effect on the surface, and smiled. That smile soon faded when she heard someone call her name, and turned round to see Andy Barrett walking towards her, if it was anyone else she would have run by now but fear seemed to freeze her to the spot.

"No brothers around to swoop in and save you this time Braxton, now tell me where your dad is?" Andy growled as Ava stood up and watched him move closer.

"I told you I don't know where he is," Ava replied her voice shaking.

"Don't lie to me," Andy shouted grabbing Ava's arm and making her flinch, "You know exactly where he is, and you're going to tell me."

"I'm not lying."

"If I find out that you're lying to me, there is going to be trouble, and your brothers won't be able to protect you," Andy whispered as he pushed her to the ground and left.

Ava took a shaky deep breath, climbing to her feet and heading back to Angelo's where her brothers were. Taking her seat beside Brax again, Ava made a decision about her time in Summer Bay, and she just hoped that her brothers would all be okay with it.

"Hey Brax," Ava said causing Brax to look up from his work.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking... maybe I should go back to school... I mean I've missed loads but I'm sure if I worked hard that I could catch up," Ava suggested.

"So you're staying?" Brax inquired with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm safer here with you guys, and I know that I can't run forever... if he's going to find me then he's going to find me, and I'd rather be here with you guys than somewhere on my own."

"I like that idea," Brax stated, "I'll get in touch with the school, and see what I can sort out."

"What have you got to sort out?" Heath asked as he joined them leaning on the bar.

"Ava's decided that she wants to go back to school," Brax informed him as he returned his attention to his paper work.

"You're planning to be here for a while then?" Heath added.

"As long as everyone is okay with it," Ava mumbled.

"I don't think anyone is going to have a problem with you sticking around Firefly, it'll be nice to have a break from being with this lot all the time," Heath replied with a grin.

"It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better," Kyle added.

"It means I won't be the baby of the family anymore," Casey teased as he kissed Ava's cheek.

Ava looked around at her brothers with a smile, this was were she had wanted to be for a long time, and now that she was finally there everything felt better. She knew that things weren't going to be that simple, she knew that her dad would soon come after her, but for now she had her brothers and for her that was the most important thing.

Once they had arrived home, Heath, Brax and Casey decided to go surfing, leaving Ava at home with Kyle. Heading into the kitchen Ava looked through the cupboards, and found everything she needed to make Spaghetti Bolognese.

"What you making?" Kyle asked as he walked into the kitchen and leant against the counter.

"Spaghetti Bolognese, do you want to help?"

"Sure what do you need me to do?" Kyle added approaching the sink and washing his hands.

"Can you chop up some onions and some mushrooms, while I sort out the sauce?"

"Of course."

They had just put dinner onto cook when Brax, Heath and Casey arrived home, they immediately entered the kitchen, looking in the pot and smiling.

"Smells good firefly," Heath said.

"What makes you think that it wasn't me who put it together?" Kyle stated.

"The last time you offered to cook dinner, we ended up with beans on toast, and you burnt it... besides only Ava knows that we like mushrooms and onions in it," Casey replied making everyone laugh.

"Anyone home?" Came a female voice as the front door opened and closed.

"In the kitchen," Brax shouted as Charlie walked in, "Hey Charlie, what's up?"

"I thought we could maybe do something tonight, me, you, Heath, Casey and Ruby," Charlie suggested.

"Kyle and Ava already cooked us dinner though," Brax added.

"Come on Brax its not very often we get to go out, I'm sure whatever they cooked can be frozen, and re heated tomorrow."

"Charlie, we...," Brax started but Ava cut him off.

"You should go... me and Kyle will be fine on our own, and it looks like Charlie already has your night planned."

Ava walked off into Casey's bedroom, and sat down on the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest. It was then that Ava realized just how different things were, and that she would have a lot of things to get used to, but she would do it for them... she'd do anything for them.


	5. Chapter 5

Brax tried to talk to Ava before they left, but Charlie seemed to be in a hurry for them to leave, and so he kissed Ava's head before following Charlie out of the house. Walking back into the kitchen to check on the Bolognese, she found Kyle on the laptop, and after replacing the lid on the food she sat opposite him.

She really wanted to ask him about Charlie, but she decided that that was probably a conversation to have with Brax, and so she sat in silence doodling on her notebook that she had left on the table. Finally dinner was ready, and they both sat in front of the television, watching Insidious but as always Ava's mind was elsewhere.

Ava was sat in the kitchen again when Brax, Heath and Casey arrived home, working on a drawing that she had started, and trying to clear her head.

"That's really good," Brax said making her jump a little.

"Thanks," Ava mumbled keeping her focus on the paper in front of her.

"I'm sorry about Charlie."

"It's fine, she's not the first person to treat me like I don't matter," Ava stated.

"You do matter, you know you do... she just needs to get used to the idea of you being around."

"She doesn't like me Brax, if you're getting used to someone being around, you at least give them a chance...," Ava added feeling her emotions washing through her threatening to overflow, "It doesn't matter anyway, you're the one she's dating, it doesn't matter if she likes me or not."

"Yes it does though, because you're my family and that's important to me."

"That's not how it works, I'm going to head off to bed... night," Ava mumbled closing her notepad and heading to Casey's bedroom.

Sleep came easily for once, but as usual it wasn't long before the nightmares surfaced, and Ava was waking up shaking. She checked to make sure that she didn't wake up Casey, and then getting dressed she walked out the front door, and headed to the beach. Sitting on the sand, Ava watched as the sun slowly rose into the dull morning sky bringing with it the hope of a bright new day, and Ava's first step into a new life.

Ava was looking forward to starting school, she was looking forward to having something normal, and maybe she would even make some friends along the way. Even with everything good that she had to look forward to, she still knew that her dad would soon find her, and that as quickly as she found her brothers, she could lose them again.

"Everyone is looking for you," Casey said sitting beside her.

"I just needed time to clear my head," Ava replied.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm just scared about what will happen when dad turns up," Ava stated glancing over at Casey who was watching her, "I've just got you guys back in my life, and I don't think I could handle him coming in here and ripping it all away from me again."

"That won't happen, none of us would ever let that happen again... you need to start thinking about all the good stuff that you could have here Ava, like an education, a family... a life. Don't let your fear of him take that away from you."

Ava gave Casey a small smile, nodding her head in silent agreement, and taking a deep breath as Casey pulled her to her feet. It was then that Heath, Brax and Kyle arrived, looking worried but the relief was clear when they realized that she was okay, or at least physically that was.

"Everything okay?" Brax asked hugging Ava who hugged him back.

"I think everything is going to be more than okay," Casey added nudging Ava's shoulder.

"How about we head up to the diner, get some breakfast and then I'll ring the school, see how soon we can get you started?" Brax suggested.

"That sounds good," Ava replied as Brax guided her up the beach, keeping his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulders as he did.

When they arrived at the diner Charlie was there with Ruby, and as soon as she spotted Brax, she headed over smiling at him. Ava looked up at Brax who hadn't removed his arm from around her shoulders, and realized that he didn't seem quite as happy to see her, but she ignored it.

"Brax, can we talk please?" Charlie asked.

"I'm busy right now Charlie," Brax replied as they stepped up to the counter.

"Brax please?"

"Guys, order what you want, and get me some pancakes... I'll be right back," Brax said letting go of Ava and walking outside with Charlie in tow.

Everyone was eating when Brax returned, taking his seat beside Ava, and digging into his food without a word. Glancing over at her brother, Ava couldn't help but wonder if her being there was really causing him that much trouble, and whether it was something she should bring up with him or perhaps Charlie. She watched as Charlie left the diner, and excused herself quietly, before following her.

"Charlie wait," Ava shouted causing Charlie to stop and turn round.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk, I don't understand why you're so against me, and the last thing I want is for my presence to ruin whatever you and Brax have."

"Look kid, it's nothing personal... I'm sure you're a great kid, but Brax doesn't need another teenager to look after and feed, he already has Casey, Heath and Kyle to worry about. I know that they're your family, but if you really cared about them, then you'd just go back to wherever you came from," Charlie said turning around and walking away.

Ava stood staring at the spot where Charlie had just stood, trying to wrap her head around what she had just been told to do, and panic began to rise in her chest.


	6. Chapter 6

That night Ava couldn't sleep, all she could think about was what Charlie had said, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to leave Summer Bay, and she sure as hell didn't want to go back to her dad, but she also didn't want to make life harder for her brothers. When the sun rose the next morning, Ava walked into the living room to find Brax watching television, and sat down beside him.

"Morning," Brax said glancing over at her with a small smile.

"Morning," Ava mumbled.

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No, I was thinking about stuff, and couldn't shut my mind off long enough to actually sleep," Ava explained.

"Can I ask you a question?" Brax asked turning off the television, and looking at Ava with the look that meant that he was serious.

"Sure."

"What did Charlie say to you?"

"What do you mean?" Ava inquired.

"At breakfast yesterday you excused yourself, and I guessed that it was to go speak to Charlie, but when you came back you were quiet and distant again... I thought we had got past that."

"We have, Charlie just told me that you're a good guy and that she doesn't want to see things go wrong... it got me thinking about what dad will do if, or should I say when he gets here," Ava stated trying to keep her lie convincing, "She's good for you Brax."

"Maybe, but you're my little sister and if being with her means that I can't have you in my life, then it's not worth it... she can't expect me to cut you out, and if she truly cared about me she wouldn't expect me to anyway."

"I think there's more too it than that," Ava said trying to pick her words so that she didn't do more harm, "I think the fact that she cares is the reason she's worried... perhaps you should talk to her, and I mean talk to her properly."

"I always talk to her properly," Brax argued.

"I mean a serious conversation Brax, one were you don't get defensive when she says something you don't like, and end up screwing things up... that seems to be a Braxton thing to do. Just because you're a Braxton doesn't mean that you can't be happy, I know family comes first but you need to think about yourself as well sometimes, and you haven't done that since I was young."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that things won't fall apart if you allow yourself to have something good, you're still going to be here to pick up the pieces when Heath gets into trouble, or I have problems at school or when Casey and Kyle argue about girls."

"You're way too mature for your age firefly," Brax added with a smile, "I'll talk to her okay, see if I can straighten things out, but first we sort out about you going back to school."

"Okay."

Ava smiled as her brother got up, and grabbed the phone so that he could ring the school. She knew that she shouldn't have lied to him about what Charlie had said, but she didn't want to tear them apart, and lying was the only option. Brax got off the phone half an hour later, and returned to the sofa where Ava was sitting reading a book, closing it when she felt the sofa dip under Brax's weight.

"We have an appointment to see Mrs. Palmer tomorrow," Brax said causing Ava to smile.

They spent the next hour watching television until Ava finally fell asleep, waking up when Kyle and Casey arrived home. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, looking at Casey when he walked in followed by Kyle, who handed her a cup of coffee and a sandwich.

"What's this for?" Ava asked.

"Brax ordered us to make you something to eat and drink, before waking you up," Kyle stated, "He said that if we had food and coffee to offer you, you wouldn't be so annoyed at us for waking you... plus the fact that girls get cranky when they haven't eaten properly."

"I don't get cranky, and I'm not that hungry anyway," Ava mumbled looking at the sandwich that Kyle had placed on the table in front of her.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to, we made it just incase," Casey added.

Ava again looked at the sandwich noticing the glint of concern in her brothers eyes, she understood why they were worried, she hadn't really eaten much since she arrived, and so picking up half the sandwich she took a bite. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, she was actually starving but when she was with her dad she didn't get much to eat... mainly because they never really stayed anywhere long enough to buy groceries.

Her dad and Rex would eat at diners, but they always made Ava stay in the car and wait, so that she wasn't seen too much. They never offered to buy her anything, nor did they bring her anything back, and so she guessed she didn't eat much out of habit. It was when she had finished eating that someone knocked on the door, and Ava went to answer it with smile, but that soon faded when she opened the door to reveal...

"Dad," Ava said taking a step back.

"Hello you little rat," Danny Braxton growled stepping close to her.

Ava began shake a little, and the feeling of pure terror seemed to grip her entire existence, rooting her to the spot. She knew that her dad would show up eventually, but she had hoped she would have a little longer with her brothers before he did, and now here he was smirking down at her... the devil was at the door, and he was ready to drag her back to hell.


	7. Chapter 7

Ava's back hit the wall as Danny barged past her, and the urge to make a run for it through the open front door was strong, but she couldn't leave her brothers to deal with him. She pulled out her phone, texting Brax and Heath before following Danny into the living room, and standing between Casey and Kyle.

Danny's eyes scanned his surroundings, before they landed on Ava, Kyle and Casey, the usual deadly glint in them. Everyone was silent for a while, until it became too much for Ava and she spoke, knowing that Brax and Heath would soon be walking through the still open door.

"What are you doing here dad?" Ava asked knowing that it was a stupid question, but it was all her brain could come up with.

"I thought I'd come see my children, and go site seeing," Danny replied sarcastically.

"Well you can just leave now, because there's no reason for you to be here," Casey added.

Just as he said this Brax walked through the door with Heath, and Charlie wearing her police uniform, this didn't surprise Ava since she had worked it out from the moment she saw her.

"Let's go Mr. Braxton, you have been asked nicely to leave," Charlie said.

"I'm not leaving without my daughter," Danny added glaring at Charlie who simply nodded.

"Ava, I'm going to have to ask you to collect your belongings, and go with your dad. If you refuse to go with him, then I will have no other choice than to arrest your brothers for kidnapping a minor," Charlie stated.

Everyone stared at Charlie, as Ava went into Casey's room to collect her bag, removing a silver necklace from the pocket, and then returning holding back the tears that were threatening to fall. Danny grabbed her arm, his grip tighter than needed, and pulled her towards the door but Brax stopped them.

"At least let us say goodbye this time," Brax mumbled but Ava knew from his face that he was raging inside.

Ava pulled away from her dad, dropping her bag on the floor, and walking over to Kyle who was looking down at the ground beside Casey. She hugged Casey, Kyle and Heath in silence, but when she reached Brax the look of defeat on his face was too much, and she had to make him understand that this wasn't his fault.

"This isn't your fault Brax," Ava whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I promise I'll find you Ava, you won't have to stay with him for long… just don't do anything stupid okay?" Brax said kissing her head, and closing his hand around the necklace that Ava wanted him to keep.

"I love you guys," Ava said to all four of them, before she was dragged out the door, and pushed into the back of a waiting car driven by Rex.

Ava looked out the window, watching as Brax, Heath, Kyle and Casey gathered outside. She allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks, as the car pulled away, and they disappeared from view.

"So you thought that I wouldn't figure out where you went," Danny growled from the front seat, looking at Ava through the rear-view mirror, "Stop your crying, I've told you crying makes you weak… and Braxton's are not weak."

"Yes sir," Ava mumbled wiping away the tears that trailed down her cheeks.

Brax had been sitting on the sofa in silence for twenty minutes, staring at the necklace Ava had handed him, he didn't know who he was more angry at Danny for ruining what they had started building, Charlie for not doing her job properly or himself for letting it all happen.

"We can't let him take her again," Brax said standing up and heading towards the door, only to be stopped by Charlie.

"I can't let you go after him Brax."

"Look Charlie, I don't know who you think you're helping by trying to stop me, but Ava is my little sister and I will do anything to protect her. You don't know what our dad is like, and you don't understand the danger you've put Ava in by allowing him to leave here with her… you'll never understand any of it," Brax stated feeling the anger bubbling inside him.

"He's her dad Brax, you can't just take her away from him like that," Charlie added but Brax wasn't listening and carried on talking.

"You'll never understand why family is so important to me, or why it is so important for me to protect my brothers and Ava… you'll never understand why I am the way am, why any of us River boys are the way we are, and it really doesn't matter," Brax continued never missing a beat, "What you need to understand however, is that I will not let Ava suffer because you don't like her, I get that you care about me and I appreciate that, but I can't let him disappear with her again."

"Why is it so bad that she's with him?" Charlie asked but before Brax could answer Heath jumped in.

"We protected Casey and Ava from our dad for thirteen years, before he took off with Ava in the middle of the night, that was three years ago… we have no clue what he did to her or what he's going to do to her, but I'm not sitting around and waiting to find out."

"Me neither," Casey and Kyle said at the exact same time.

Brax looked at Charlie who hesitated, before stepping out the way and allowing the brothers to rush by her to the car. As Brax went to follow them, Charlie put her hand on his arm, and he stopped looking back at her confused.

"I want to understand everything."

Brax gave her a quick nod, before following his brothers, and taking off after Danny who had a decent head start on them. They didn't have a plan, and he was pretty sure that Danny did, but one thing he did know was that he wouldn't rest until his baby sister was wrapped in his arms, and safe.

He didn't show a lot of people his soft side, but when it came to Ava he would do anything to keep her from harm, and his dad couldn't stop him.


	8. Chapter 8

Lying on the floor in the motel room Danny had rented for the night, Ava couldn't help thinking about her brothers, and wondering whether her having to leave had so much as dented their new lives. As soon as they had entered the room, Danny had laid into her, leaving her bloody and bruised on the floor where she had stayed.

Every small movement sent pain throughout her entire body, but she wouldn't let him see that… she wouldn't let him know that she was hurting… that she was weak, and so she bit back the pain. She fought the tears that had been threatening to fall, focusing her mind on the short time she got to spend with her brothers, and trying to stay strong in the eyes of her father to avoid punishment.

Ava coughed, spitting out the blood that she tasted in her mouth, and forcing herself into a sitting position, as she heard a car pull up to the motel at some speed. The sound of slamming doors had Danny and Rex on their feet, and before she could say anything Danny was grabbing their bags off the floor in a hurry.

"We can't take her with us Danny, she'll slow us down… let them have her for now, we'll make our move once she's more useful," Rex said earning a nod from Danny who crouched beside her.

"We'll be seeing you real soon," Danny whispered as they disappeared through the door.

Pulling out her phone she dialled Brax's number, putting it too her ear and waiting for her brother to answer. He didn't answer the first time she tried, or the second but he did on the third, and relief washed over her at the sound of his voice.

'_Ava, where are you?_' Brax asked.

"Some motel… I didn't see the name of it properly, but it starts with a D… room 105," Ava replied as she was hit by a coughing fit.

'_We're already at the motel, but we saw the car leave… hang tight we're almost there._"

Ava heard the door handle turn, causing her head to snap up in fear as she dropped the phone to the ground, and waited for the door to open. When it was finally pushed open, Ava relaxed seeing Brax and Heath standing in the doorway, before they both rushed to her side.

"He really did you over good firefly," Heath said lifting her chin carefully to examine her face properly, "We need to get her home and cleaned up."

"This is going to hurt like hell Ava, but we need to get you out of here," Brax added as he lifted her off the ground, and headed out the door to another car.

Heath sat in the back with Ava on his lap, and Casey beside him, while Kyle rode up front with Brax, who kept glancing at her through the rear view mirror. Ava laid her head against Heath's shoulder, closing her eyes to try and ease the pain, but it didn't work.

"She should never have been sent off with him the way she was," Casey mumbled looking at Ava with concern.

"Charlie was just doing her job mate," Brax replied although Ava could tell that Brax didn't truly believe that, "We'll sort this all out at home."

The rest of the car journey was quiet, the only sound being the radio, which was playing softly in the background, and Ava's unsteady breathing. They soon came to a stop, and Brax took Ava inside laying her on the sofa, while Heath collected the first aid kit from the kitchen.

Ava flinched as Brax cleaned her up, before she was able to have a shower, and get changed out of her blood stained clothes. Once she was dressed, she headed into the front room, curling up on the sofa with Casey who put his arm around her and gave her a small smile.

"How are you feeling?" Casey asked, as Ava got comfortable next to him.

"Sore… scared," Ava mumbled playing with her fingers as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

"You know being scared makes you human, we may be Braxton's but that doesn't mean that nothing scares us… even Brax and Heath get scared sometimes."

"I feel safe here, but it's hard because of the last three years… I don't know whether feeling safe is a good thing or not, perhaps safe is worse."

"Why would feeling safe be worse?" Casey asked with a frown.

"Safe could be worse because I know that it can be taken away, the feeling of safety could be turned into fear, and then that place becomes like all the others in my past," Ava explained.

"No one is going to take this away from you Ava," Brax stated from behind them as he sat down on the other side of her, "I can't promise you that things won't happen, we all know what dad is like, and he's never going to change… but no matter what I will always look for you, and I will always bring you home."

"I just want to stay with my brothers… I don't understand why that's such a bad thing," Ava added as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's not… the only reason that dad doesn't want you here with us, is because he knows that he can't control you anymore," Brax said leaning over and wiping away her tears, "No more tears because of him kiddo, I changed our appointment at the school for tomorrow, and we're going to get you a fresh start."

"What about when he comes back?" Ava inquired drying her eyes.

"I'm working on that as we speak."


	9. Chapter 9

Ava's appointment at the school seemed to go on forever, but finally it was over, and she was given a date to start. If she honest she wasn't expecting half the questions that principal Palmer asked, but to her relief Brax had answered.

Leaving Brax, Ava headed down the beach, and found Heath emerging from the sea with his surfboard under his arm.

"Hey trouble," Heath shouted as he made his way over to her.

"Hey, how were the waves today?" Ava asked motioning towards the sea.

"You know what it's like, you win some you lose some, but it was pretty decent out there. You should come out with me one day soon," Heath suggested, "How did your meeting with Palmer go?"

"I felt like I was under interrogation, but the worst part was that I didn't know how to answer the questions she was asking, and Brax had to handle them for me."

"There's nothing wrong with that Firefly."

"Everything is wrong with that, you and Brax always taught me that words are powerful, and that to get anywhere in life you have to take control of what you say. You have to keep your emotions in check, and keep your past exactly where it is… behind you… but when people start asking about it I freeze."

"Do you know why we always told you that?" Heath inquired sitting on the sand and waiting for Ava to sit beside him, "The reason we taught you that wasn't so that you would shut off your emotions, it was to stop you from looking back… keeping your past where it belongs gives you a clear path ahead, and with a past like ours that is a good thing."

Ava was quiet for a few moments, watching the water wash over the sand, and listening to the birds gliding overhead. When she was with her dad, the past was all she could think about… there was no future for her ahead and the memories she had with her brothers were safe in a strange way.

"The past is all I've thought about for the last three years, it made me feel strong thinking about you, Brax and Casey, but it also made it harder in a way. I don't want people judging me on how my life was, I want them to judge me on how I am now, and I know that people are going to want to know about my past but I'll tell them when I'm ready."

"That is completely up to you, we're not expecting you to hide it from everyone Firefly, and we definitely do not want to make this harder for you than it already is… we just want you to be happy, and protect you that's all."

"I know, you and Brax have always protected me," Ava stated looking over at Heath who put his arm around her, and kissed her head.

"We always will."

Ava nodded, smiling a little and wiping a few stray tears that had escaped down her face, the future that she once couldn't see was beginning to appear. It was a gradual thing, for now she was happy to just think about tomorrow, and what was to come but as always there was that voice in the back of her head, which she was trying to ignore.

When they arrived home, Charlie and Brax were talking in the kitchen, but from the sound of things it wasn't exactly going well.

"I'm not saying that you should turn your back on her Brax, I'm just saying that she shouldn't be staying here," Charlie said, "I get that she is your sister and that you want to protect her, but all she will do is bring even more trouble to your door."

"I don't just give up on my family because things might get a little hard Charlie, our entire lives have been hard and Ava's been through more than you ever will… family always comes first."

"So if she wasn't your family then you wouldn't be helping her?" Charlie asked.

"Don't even go there, we already know that Ava is a Braxton Charlie, don't you think we haven't already done all this… yes our mum had an affair, but a test was done and Ava is Danny's child."

"How to you plan on keeping her with you?" Charlie stated, "You can't just keep her away from her dad Brax, that's kidnapping of a minor like I said, and I can't just ignore that."

"Well you don't have to because I've already spoken to a lawyer, and I'm pushing for full guardianship of Ava. My lawyer thinks that I have a good chance of winning since my dad has a criminal record longer than his arm, and all his offences are more severe than any of mine."

"What about the others?"

"I already spoke to them about it, they all agree that it's best for Ava, and it is best for this family. Casey, Heath and Kyle are old enough to just walk away Charlie, but Ava isn't and I won't stand by while Danny tears her apart."

"She's not worth all this Brax."

Ava looked at Heath, before running out the front door, and pushing herself forward until she reached the beach.

"Ava," Heath shouted causing Brax to rush into the room, "I'm going after her."

"Let's go, she's probably just at the beach."

With that both men hurried out the door in search of Ava, who unknowingly was in danger, and it was only time that could tell if they would reach her in time.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Authors notes<strong>

**_Hey guys, sorry for the late update things have been a little hectic in my life lately, but everything seems to be settling down now so I will be able to update more regular... I'm going to go for at least two updates a week for you all so stay tuned... I just want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has commented, favourited and followed this story it means alot :) x_**


	10. Chapter 10

Ava stopped running, tears streaming down her face, and anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. She was tired of running away, tired of feeling as though she didn't belong, and yet she couldn't leave… she wouldn't leave them again. She clenched her fists by her side, closing her eyes tight and taking deep breaths to calm herself down, but the more she tried the more agitated she got.

Since being with her dad and Rex, Ava had found it increasingly hard to control her anger, but she had been getting better with it. Unlike when she was younger, her anger no longer slipped away, and sometimes it scared her.

Opening her eyes, Ava unclenched her fists and wiped away a stray tear that slid down her face. A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she spun round to find the Barrett brothers standing behind her. Looking around, Ava quickly noticed that the beach around them was relatively quiet, and that no one would hear her if she shouted out.

"No-one will hear you shout," Andy said as he took a step closer, "All we want to know is where your dad is, and then we'll leave you alone."

"I already told you, I don't know where he is and I don't particularly care," Ava replied stepping back.

"I know that you were with him recently," Andy added.

"Yeah I was with him, just long enough for him to beat me up, and then take off when my brothers showed up… he left me nearly unconscious on the floor of some motel."

"Then why are you protecting him?" Josh asked.

"I don't know where he is," Ava shouted, "If I knew where he was I would tell you, but as I keep saying I don't."

"Where was he the last time you was with him?"

"The city, he and Rex were in some ratty motel…" Ava mumbled watching as the brothers walked away.

Falling onto the sand, Ava hugged her knees close to her chest, and involuntarily shivered as the sea breeze swept over her. It was starting to get dark when Ava decided to head home, and with one last glance out over the sea, she made her way up the beach.

As she walked she cautiously looked around, the feeling in her stomach telling her that she was being watched, but she couldn't see anything suspicious. Instead of going home, Ava decided to go to the diner rather than face her brothers, and found an empty table in the corner.

"What can I get you darl?" Irene asked smiling down at Ava.

"Can I have a strawberry milkshake and a muffin please?" Ava replied politely.

"Of course you can."

It wasn't long before Irene returned with her order, placing it on the table in front of her and smiling as she left Ava to eat. So much was running through her mind as she ate, but it was Charlie's words that echoed around her head, and brought fresh tears to her eyes. When she had finished, she paid and headed outside, where she bumped into Charlie.

"Everyone is looking for you."

"Ava, are you okay?" Brax asked as he appeared behind Charlie.

"I'm fine," Ava mumbled feeling her anger towards Charlie boiling up into her chest, "Can we go home?"

"Sure," Brax said frowning as Ava walked straight passed Charlie without a glance.

By the time they arrived home, Ava had calmed down and followed Brax inside, heading straight to Casey's room. Ava had been laying in silence for nearly an hour, when she heard Heath, Casey and Kyle arrive home. Sitting up, she moved towards the door and opened it a little, so that she could hear their conversation.

"Is she okay?" Heath asked.

"Physically she's fine, but I don't know what's going on in her head… she hasn't spoken to me since we got home," Brax replied.

"I'm going to go see if she's hungry," Casey stated causing Ava to scrabble away from the door just as it swung open, "Hey, are you hungry?"

"Not really," Ava mumbled, "can I have some hot chocolate though?"

"Of course you can, you should know by now that I am the hot chocolate god," Casey joked causing Ava to chuckle, "Why don't you come sit out here with us?"

Ava hesitated, before standing up and grabbing her sketchpad, following Casey into the kitchen. She sat down at the table, opening the pad to a clean page, and doodling while she waited.

Drawing had always been an escape for Ava, one way that she could express herself without having to use words, and it helped. Everything she drew from a full sketch to the tiniest doodle represented something she had been thinking about, and if you flipped through her sketchpad you could probably read her mind.

"Thanks," Ava said as Casey placed a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of her.

"You're welcome," Casey replied taking a seat beside her and looking at what she had drawn, "Those are really good."

Ava smiled as Brax joined them, grabbing a beer from the fridge as Casey left and leaning against the counter, watching Ava closely.

"I'm really sorry about the way Charlie's been treating you."

"It's not your fault Brax."

Brax took a drink of his beer, before heading back into the other room, and leaving Ava alone. With a deep breath Ava finished her hot chocolate, and then joined her brothers in the living room, sitting on the floor in front of Brax beside Kyle who nudged her shoulder with his own.


	11. Chapter 11

The following week was uneventful, allowing Ava to settle down, and prepare herself for school. She woke up early on her first day, heading downstairs and making breakfast, before anyone else was even awake.

Her stomach turned with a mixture of excitement and nerves, but that was to be expected on such a big day. Brax, Casey and Heath soon joined her, eating their breakfast in silence, while Ava got ready.

"Are you ready?" Brax asked as he grabbed his keys off the side.

"I think so," Ava replied.

"Then lets get you to school."

Ava hugged Heath and Casey, before following Brax out to the truck. The drive to the school was quiet, and the closer they got, the more nervous Ava became.

"Just be yourself, and please try not to get into trouble or suspended."

"I won't," Ava promised with a chuckle.

"I know," Brax stated as Ava climbed out the truck, and smiled at him before heading inside.

Ava walked through the thriving mass of students, who were gathered in the corridor, and kept her eyes focused on the schedule in her hand. Even as she looked for her first class, she could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, and the whispers that seemed to follow.

"Are you lost?" came a voice from behind her causing her to spin around.

"Just a little bit."

"I'm Dexter but you can call me Dex… can I see your schedule?"

Ava hesitated, before handing over her schedule, and watching the boy look it over.

"I'm Ava by the way."

"It's nice to meet you Ava," Dex said with a smile, "Listen, you're in a majority of my classes, and I'd be more than happy to be your guide… if you want."

"That'd be great," Ava replied feeling slightly awkward and self-conscious.

Dexter smiled leading the way to their first class, and by the end of the day, Ava had completely relaxed around him. As they left school Ava spotted Brax leaning against his truck, and with a quick goodbye to Dex, she walked over to where he was waiting.

"How was your first day?" Brax asked as he hugged her.

"It was good, but I have a lot to catch up on."

"You can do it, I see you've made friends with the Walker kid."

"You mean Dexter?" Ava inquired earning a nod from Brax, "He's a little strange but he seems nice."

"It's good that you've made a friend already," Brax stated as they climbed into the truck and headed home, "I'm going to drop you off, and then I've got to go to Angelo's."

Ava headed inside, dropping her bag on the sofa, and heading into the kitchen where Kyle was sat.

"Hey," Kyle said as Ava poured herself a glass of juice and joined him, "School go okay?"

"Yeah, school was good," Ava replied, "What are you writing?"

"Some lyrics for a new song that I'm working on."

"You sing?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, and play guitar as well."

"Will you play something for me?"

"Sure, come in the other room," Kyle stated with a smile, "Any requests?"

"Something you wrote."

"Okay, this is something I've been working on but it's nowhere near finished. Beautiful girl talks with her eyes, prettier than the starlit skies, Beautiful smile brightens my day, takes the usual pain away," Kyle sang as he strummed the strings gently, "If this is love then it's all I need, I promise that I won't mislead, if this is love it's all I ask, that you not hide behind a mask."

"That's going to be amazing when it's finished, and you have a really good voice as well," Ava said with a smile.

"Thanks, do you want to watch a movie?"

"I would but I have loads of catch up work to do, and I really want to get it started."

"Okay, mind if I work on my song, and keep you company?"

"Only if you promise that I'll get to hear it first… once you've finished it," Ava added.

"You drive a hard bargain little sister, but I think that's doable."

Ava laughed grabbing her books, and reading through the assignments she had been given to do. It was two hours before Brax arrived home with food, followed shortly after by Heath and Casey.

"How long have you been working on all that?" Brax inquired.

"Since I got in, I wanted to get it started, and kind of lost track of time."

"Come get something to eat Einstein," Casey teased as Brax dished out the food for all five of them.

Ava sat down beside Casey, waiting for everyone else to start eating, before digging into her own plate of food. Once everyone had finished, Ava help Kyle with the dishes, and then returned to her schoolwork, which was spread out on the floor. Twenty minutes later, Ava looked up to find Brax watching her and smiled.

"Everything okay?" Ava asked.

"Everything's fine, it's just nice seeing you content, and focused on something good."

"Brax, can I tell you something?"

"Of course you can," Brax said sitting down on the floor beside her.

"This morning when you dropped me off at school… I was scared about you leaving me," Ava admitted.

"How come?"

"There were two reasons, the first was that no one would understand me the way that you and the others do, but then I met Dex and that fear disappeared."

"What was the other reason?" Brax added.

"I was scared that you wouldn't be here when school finished, and then when I saw you waiting I was relieved… I expected the fear to disappear like it had before but it didn't," Ava explained feeling stupid for being so insecure.

"It's understandable that you're afraid of us leaving you, and it's okay to be scared. Ava, I'm not dad… I don't expect you to be strong all the time, and I don't want you to keep things from me because you think I'll be mad."

"I just don't want to let you down," Ava mumbled.

"The only way you could ever let me down, is if you let dad win, and all of us are going to make sure that that doesn't happen," Brax added wiping away a stray tear that slid down her cheek.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Authors Notes<strong>

**_Hey guys, thought Ava deserved a positive chapter without so much drama, so I hope you enjoy it and the next chapter will be up soon! _**


	12. Chapter 12

Ava had been on the beach drawing for hours, when she decided to head home, and see what the others were up to. As soon as she walked in, Ava heard people talking in the kitchen and headed in, freezing in the doorway when she spotted who it was.

"Mum."

"What are you doing here?" Cheryl snapped glaring at Ava who stood beside Heath.

"Three years… it's been three years since you last saw her, and that is all you have to say," Brax said angrily.

"What do you want me to say to her Darryl?" Cheryl replied, "She chose to go with her dad that night."

"She didn't choose to go with him, but then I'm not surprised that you don't remember, since you were drunk," Heath stated, "We didn't even know she had been taken until the morning, and even then you were too out of it to do anything."

Ava didn't know how to feel about seeing her mum again, to be honest her mum hadn't even crossed her mind, and she wished more than anything that it could have stayed that way. She knew that no one could have stopped her dad that night, especially not her mum but Ava was still angry, and she wasn't ready to forgive her just yet.

"Brax, can I go see Dex please?" Ava mumbled needing to get away.

"Sure, don't be back too late," Brax replied as Ava nodded, heading back out the front door, grabbing her bag on the way passed.

Ava headed over to Dex's house, hesitating before knocking and nervously waiting for someone to answer. It was a few minutes before the door swung open, revealing Dex's sister Indi and her boyfriend Romeo.

"Hi Ava," Indi said with a smile.

"Hey, is Dex around?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, he's in the kitchen helping Marilyn cook dinner," Indi replied, "Go on through."

Ava walked through into the kitchen, and was met by Dex who was mixing something in a bowl, well that was what Ava assumed he was supposed to be doing.

"Ava," Dex stated grinning at her, "I'm just helping with dinner."

"Is that what you're doing," Ava teased, "I think you're supposed to be mixing it in the bowl."

"You come have a go if you think you can do better."

Putting her bag on a stool at the counter, Ava joined Dex and took the spoon, mixing the remainder of the mixture in the bowl.

"See, it's really not that hard."

"Sorry miss professional chef," Dex said causing Ava to chuckle, "What brings you over here anyway?"

"Needed to get out of the house," Ava mumbled handing the bowl to Marilyn.

"Marilyn, is there anything else you need me to do, or can I go?" Dex asked washing his hands.

"I think I'm okay here, you kids have fun and Dex… don't be late for dinner," Marilyn shouted as they left.

"Do you carry that bag everywhere?"

"Pretty much, it's got my sketch pad and that in it."

"When am I going to get to look at some of your masterpieces?" Dex inquired as they entered the surf club.

"One day if you're lucky," Ava replied nudging Dex's shoulder, "Right now, I'm going to beat you at pool and you're going to buy me a drink."

"Bring it on," Dex challenged heading over to the counter and getting their drinks, while Ava set up the table.

"Are you ready to lose?" Ava asked grinning at Dex who glared at her playfully.

"Let's play."

Ava laughed as she took her first shot, realising for the first time that she was actually happy, and she felt good about where she was. She knew it wasn't going to last, but being around Dex made her forget about everything else, and it made things a little easier.

It was another hour before they decided to head home, and Ava hoped that her mum would be gone, but that wasn't the case. When Ava walked through the door, her mum was sat at the kitchen table with Charlie and her brothers eating dinner, it didn't take Ava long to notice that Kyle wasn't there but she wasn't too surprised.

"Ava, why don't you come have some dinner," Heath suggested when he spotted her from his place at the table.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Ava replied heading towards Kyle's room but not before noticing the sad expression on Brax's face.

The door to Kyle's room was already open when Ava reached it, and she saw Kyle sitting with his guitar, Ava knocked gently on the door causing Kyle to look up.

"Come in," Kyle mumbled returning his attention to his guitar, "Shouldn't you be out there having a family meal?"

"I'd rather sit in here with you," Ava explained, "There's certain people out there that I don't want to be around right now."

Kyle nodded patting the empty space beside him on the bed, which Ava happily took and pulled out her sketch pad, turning to a fresh page. Once Cheryl had left, Ava headed into the kitchen to make her and Kyle something to eat. Opening the freezer, Ava quickly found some pizzas, which she put in the oven and made some hot chocolate for them as well while she waited.

"Why don't you and Kyle come sit out here with us?" Brax asked.

"No thanks, but Kyle might want to, now that he's welcome of course" Ava stated, "Why don't you go and ask him."

Brax stared at Ava for a few moments, before getting up and heading towards Kyle's bedroom, returning with Kyle in tow. Ava handed Kyle his pizza and hot chocolate, which he took with a smile and then headed to Casey's room, before getting her stuff from Kyle's.

"There was no need for the attitude earlier, Brax was just trying to include you," Charlie stated as Ava put her plate in the sink half an hour later.

"Charlie," Brax warned.

"_Trying_ to include me," Ava snapped feeling her restraint slipping as she turned towards Charlie, "I'm his sister, not some outsider who needs to be invited to join her family for dinner."

"You may be his sister, but you're not his family," Charlie added, "You haven't been in his life for three years, that makes you an outsider."

"Brax has always been the same, blood first and that won't change just because Ava wasn't around, besides it wasn't her fault that she wasn't here," Casey argued.

"It's obvious that you don't like me Charlie, and I do believe you when you say that it's because you care about Brax, but you're trying to rip my family away from me."

Ava walked back into Casey's room, taking a deep breath and unclenching her fists which she hadn't realised she had clenched. At first she had found Charlie's loyalty to Brax sweet, but now she was trying to tear her family apart, and Ava couldn't watch that happen again.


	13. Chapter 13

Sitting on the floor in the dark, Ava hugged her knees to her chest, and rested her head on top of them. Taking deep breaths, the anger that had built up slowly faded, replaced with fear and doubt. She closed her eyes trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall, but it was no use the tears broke through rolling down her cheeks, and Ava just let them.

_Braxton's don't cry _Ava heard her dad say in her head, as she wiped the tears away, and tried to pull herself together. She had been in Casey's room for about half an hour, when the door opened and Brax slipped in turning on the light.

"I'm sorry," Brax said as he crouched in front of her cautiously, "Charlie was out of line."

"It was my fault," Ava mumbled quietly, "I should have tried harder to keep my anger under control, and just kept my mouth shut."

"You had your reason's firefly," Brax stated running his hand over his face, "I didn't realise how much we were pushing you and Kyle out, but it's going to change… I promise."

"I shouldn't have come here," Ava whispered although she knew that Brax had heard her from the expression on his face.

"This is where you belong Ava," Brax argued although his voice was soft, "I'm happy that you came here, we all are."

Brax moved to sit beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders, and pulling her closer to his side. Ava again wiped her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder, and welcoming the comfort.

That night once everyone had fallen asleep, Ava grabbed her bag and headed into the kitchen. Removing a folded piece of paper from her pocket, she unfolded it and wrote a quick note on the back.

'_I love you all so much, and it hurts to leave but I've caused enough trouble just by being here. Please don't blame Charlie, she's just looking out for the people she loves, and I can understand that as I'm now doing the same. Tell Dex I said goodbye and thank you… I'm sorry_.'

Placing it on the table, she took one last glance around, and quietly slipped from the house heading towards the bus station.

When Brax woke up the following morning, he headed straight into the kitchen to get some coffee, and spotted a folded piece of paper on the table. Assuming that it was one of Ava's sketches he grabbed it, unfolding it and freezing when he read what was written on it.

"Morning," Heath mumbled as he joined Brax, pouring himself some coffee and turning to face Brax who hadn't responded, "Brax?"

"Ava's gone," Brax replied handing the note over and sitting at the table, "I didn't see how much everything was really getting to her."

"None of us did mate." Heath said putting the note back on the table, "We need to find her."

"Okay, where would she go?"

"I hate to make this suggestion, but you don't think she'd go back to dad and Rex do you?"

"She's upset but she's not stupid, that would be the last place she'd go."

"Last place who would go?" Kyle asked as he entered the kitchen followed by Casey, "What's going on?"

"Ava left," Brax stated simply sitting at the table and burying his face in his hands.

"Why would she just leave?" Casey inquired looking at the note and handing it to Kyle.

"She thinks she's to blame for all the trouble, and that she shouldn't have come here," Brax explained, "Charlie hasn't helped either."

Everyone fell silent, as Brax read the note again, and stood up grabbing his keys as he headed out the door. Getting in his truck, Brax drove over to Charlie's house, and knocked loudly on the door.

"What the hell Brax?" Charlie said as she yanked the door open and glared at him.

"Ava's gone," Brax replied angrily shoving the note into Charlie's hand, "I warned you not to push her, but you just couldn't help it could you."

"I was doing what I thought was right Brax… for you and the others, I'm not going to apologise for that, and I sure as hell won't feel guilty."

"You're going to help us find her," Brax demanded feeling angry and just needing to find his baby sister.

Ava had been walking for an hour, when a truck pulled up and the Barrett's climbed out. Watching them approach her, Ava felt fear erupt through her, and she knew that as much as she wanted to she couldn't run.

"Going somewhere?" Andy asked with a smirk.

"What's it to you?" Ava replied knowing that if she showed her fear they would use it against her.

"All you Braxton's have a serious attitude problem," Andy stated stepping towards Ava who didn't move, "I hope you're not planning on leaving Summer Bay."

"My plans are none of your business."

"That's where you're wrong, you're my link to finding your dad, and you know that we have unfinished business."

"I can't help you with that, you know what he's like and you know that I have nothing to do with the business you have with him."

Ava moved to walk away, only to be grabbed by Andy, and yanked back aggressively to stand in front of him. The fear she had been feeling before quickly intensified, and her entire body started to shake as her chest tightened… the last thing she remembered was feeling light headed, before darkness took over.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

**_Just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has read this, and especially the people that have given me feedback all the way through, It means alot... There's still plenty to come on this story. I've tried seperating the parts where it switches from Ava's part to The Braxton boys parts but it won't let me... Sorry if it confuses people :(_**


	14. Chapter 14

When Ava woke up she was surrounded by darkness, and a sudden chill ran up her spine, causing her to shiver involuntarily. All around her she could hear noises, that during the day she probably wouldn't notice, but in the stillness of night sounded a thousand times louder.

Allowing her eyes to adjust, Ava could just make out the giant tree trunks that stood around her, and fear made its way into her stomach. In the distance the eerie howling of what Ava guessed were dingoes, pierced the quiet and she couldn't hold back the panic as she jumped to her feet.

Checking her pockets Ava found that they were empty, which meant that she was entirely on her own, and cut off from her brothers. Taking a few minutes to clear her head, Ava knew that she needed to move, and decided to head towards the moon rather than deeper into the dark.

She had been walking for hours by the time the sun rose, and she could finally see her surroundings, which released a little of the tension she felt in her chest. The umber-brown trees rose high above her head, like skyscrapers in the city or guardians watching over their land, swaying and creaking slightly in the wind.

Birds sung as Ava walked, like a soundtrack to her journey, but Ava wasn't really paying attention to that; she just wanted to go home. Home… the place she had walked away from… the one place she knew she was wanted and she left.

Doing the right thing wasn't always the best thing, and Ava regretted allowing Charlie to win, but at the time it seemed like her only option… the option that was best for her brothers. Her brothers may have been older, and capable of looking after themselves, but it didn't stop Ava from wanting to protect them.

Ava kept walking until she reached a road, but without signs she had no idea where she was, and she had no idea which way she should head. Dropping to the ground in defeat, Ava let tears fall and buried her face in her hands.

After a few minutes, she wiped away her tears and stood up, dusting herself off. Braxton's didn't give up, Brax would always remind them of that, and the memory of that had gotten her through a lot when she was with her dad.

She was pulled out of her thoughts, by the sound of an engine coming towards her, and she put her hand out to try and stop it. Much to her relief the car pulled over, and the driver wound down the window, smiling at her as she approached the passenger side.

"Where are you heading?" The man asked.

"Summer Bay," Ava replied after a few moments hesitation.

"Hop in, I'm heading there myself… a young girl like yourself shouldn't be out here alone, and you look like you're having a bad day."

"You could say that," Ava mumbled getting in the car and accepting the fresh bottle of water he was holding out to her.

She knew that getting into some strangers car was a bad idea, but all she wanted to do was get back to her brother, and getting in the car was a better option than walking. It was an hour before she saw the 'Welcome to Summer Bay' sign, and allowed herself to relax a little, staring out the window.

Once the man pulled over, Ava thanked him and climbed out, heading towards the diner. She walked in, sitting at an empty table and resting her forehead against the cold surface. Why was it so hard for her to leave, no matter what she tried something forced her back, and it was getting harder to convince herself to go.

Her thoughts were broken by a familiar voice calling her name, and she looked up to find Dex walking towards her.

"Your brother came by the house, asked if I had seen you because you ran away," Dex said as he sat next to her.

"I did, but stuff happened and I ended up back here again… who knew that leaving could be so hard, when you're trying to do the right thing," Ava replied.

"Perhaps it's a sign that you shouldn't leave," Dex suggested with a small smile.

"Let's go for a walk, before I head back to the house and face Brax… his going to kill me," Ava mumbled earning a chuckle from Dex as they headed out the diner.

They hadn't gone far when Ava spotted Heath, standing on the beach looking out over the water, and Ava could tell by the way he was stood that he was upset.

"Go over there, ring me later and let me know what's happening," Dex said hugging her.

Ava gave him a small smile, before taking a deep breath, and making her way over to Heath. She made her way across the sand, anxiety building in her stomach, and causing her to shake but she knew she had no reason to be nervous. Without a word, Ava stood beside her brother, and carefully slipped her hand into his causing him to look round in surprise.

"Ava," He mumbled pulling her into his arms, and Ava couldn't help the tears that rolled down her cheeks, "We found your phone and bag at the side of the road out of Summer Bay… what happened?"

"I don't remember… all I know is that I woke up in the woods, made it to the road and a guy gave me a lift back here," Ava stated instantly feeling bad for lying.

It wasn't that she didn't trust them, it was just that she knew how they would react if they knew the truth, and she didn't want them to get into trouble… or any more trouble than usual.


	15. Chapter 15

Exhaustion soon swept over Ava, and Heath took her home, finding the place empty. She headed straight into Casey's room without another word to Heath, and laid on the floor with her eyes closed, gradually drifting off into a restless sleep. Darkness was all Ava saw in her nightmare, as if someone had turned the lights off, and she had no way of escaping.

She was beginning to panic when she woke up, her breathing rapid and her heart pounding in her chest, but she soon relaxed when she heard her brothers in the other room talking. Standing up, Ava walked towards the door and opened it, but froze before she could take a step through.

She left… she made them all worry, and now she's just come back like she belonged there… how could she do that. Closing the door, Ava returned to sit on the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them close.

"Ava," Brax said from the other side of the door, "I'm coming in."

Tears fell as Brax opened the door, moving quickly across the room to sit beside her, and pulling her into his side.

"I…" Ava mumbled against Brax's shirt but she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Shh, it's okay," Brax replied kissing her head, "I need to know what's going on in that head of yours?"

"What if I'm not ready?" Ava asked looking up at Brax with tears still rolling down her face.

"I know you're finding it hard, and I know that you're scared firefly, but you can trust us."

"Things with dad and Rex were always the same… I'd do their dirty work and then they'd act like I wasn't there… until dad got drunk or angry."

"Then what?" Brax asked although Ava knew that Brax knew the answer.

"Then I became the centre of attention, and he'd hit me… I'd try and stop him, but every time I asked him to stop he did it more," Ava mumbled, "Each time got a little easier to handle."

"Ava, this question is really important, and I need you to answer it honestly," Brax said moving so that he could see her, "Did dad do anything other than hit you… I mean did he…"

"No," Ava replied quickly knowing exactly what her brother was trying to ask.

"Okay, can you promise me something?" Brax added, "I know that there's still a lot to talk about, and I know that there is a lot of stuff going on, but… promise me that you won't run away like that again."

"I won't," Ava whispered unsure whether or not she meant it, but she knew it would make Brax feel better and so she agreed, "I promise."

Brax hugged her one more time, before standing up and holding out his hand to help her up. Ava took it, wiping his eyes before hugging Brax, and smiling when he kissed her head.

"Come get something to eat Firefly."

Ava followed Brax into the kitchen, sitting between Casey and Kyle, who both hugged her. They ate the food that Brax had brought home from Angelo's, and talked about random things but Ava knew they all wanted to know what happened.

"Here's your phone," Heath said retrieving it from his pocket and handing it to her across the table.

"Thanks, is it okay if I go and ring Dex?" Ava asked looking at Brax who nodded.

"Of course, I think I may have scared him a little," Brax stated causing Ava to chuckle as she went in the other room.

Sitting on the couch, Ava dialled Dex's number, and listened to it ring. It rang a few times, before Dex finally answered, and Ava felt her stomach flip.

'_Hey Avatar, everything okay?_' Dex inquired.

"Yeah, everything is fine," Ava replied unable to hold back the smile that spread across her face.

'_That's good, are you in school tomorrow?_'

"I think so… I'm not sure what Brax told them about my absence, but I don't see a reason why I won't be."

'_I'll meet you at your locker before English then_,' Dex suggested.

"Okay, I'll see you then."

'_Bye_,' Dex mumbled before hanging up.

Ava smiled down at the phone, and then looked over at her brothers who were still sat at the table eating and talking. Catching Brax's eye, he gave her a small smile, and that was all it took for Ava to realise that she needed to tell them everything.

"The Barrett's," Ava said loud enough for them all to hear.

"What was that?" Brax asked staring at her.

"The Barrett's were the ones that took me out to the woods, and left me there."

"You mean Johnny Barrett and his sons?" Heath added moving to sit beside her.

"Yeah."

"Why would the Barrett's do that?" Brax inquired frowning slightly as he leant against the wall.

"Johnny approached dad and Rex about six months ago with a proposition… he told them that if they could shift his drugs, then he would give them a percentage of what they earned," Ava explained.

"What went wrong?" Brax said.

"Once they had the drugs, they were supposed to get rid of it, and then ring Johnny to hand over the money but the phone call wasn't made."

"Dad and Rex stole Johnny Barrett's money?" Heath asked anger lacing his tone.

"Dad said that it was payback… that Johnny had stolen from him, and that the money covered what he was owed…" Ava stated realizing that she was shaking, "Now Andy and Josh know I'm here, and they know that I'm their link to dad… Johnny wants his money back and they won't give up."

"We know that much," Brax mumbled, "I'm going to kill dad for getting you involved in this… but first I need to have a word with the Barrett brothers."

Before anyone else could speak, Brax was already out the door, and Ava immediately took off after him, knowing exactly where he was heading.

"Brax," Ava shouted as he got in his truck and drove off towards Mangrove River.

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Author's Notes<strong>_

___**Things are about to get crazy...**_


	16. Chapter 16

It was two hours before Brax returned, but from the looks of it he hadn't found the Barrett's, and Ava couldn't help feeling relieved. Walking to the fridge, Brax retrieved a bottle of beer, and approached the sofa where Ava was sat. Taking a seat beside her, Brax placed the beer on the table, and took a deep breath before turning to look at her.

"I need to know everything Ava… I need to know what dad and Rex made you do… what they did to you?" Brax stated seriously as the others joined them.

"I…" Ava started as a mixture of emotions rushed through her.

"We need to know Firefly," Heath added placing his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, but it didn't help.

"I can't," Ava said standing up but quickly realizing that she had nowhere to go and began to panic, "I don't… you'll be disappointed, and you'll get angry… you won't want nothing to do with me anymore."

"Why would you think that?" Brax asked frowning.

"That's what dad told me, every time I did something he asked, he'd say 'Your brothers would be so disappointed in you'… and I knew he was right," Ava mumbled loud enough for them all to hear, "After everything you did to keep me away from that stuff, and I did whatever he asked without question."

"Hey, look at me," Brax said moving to stand in front of Ava, and lifting her chin with his thumb, "Nothing you tell us will make us look at you any differently, we know what dad is like, and we know that he doesn't take no for an answer."

"You have to trust us Firefly," Heath stated and Ava knew that he was right.

The problem wasn't that Ava didn't trust them… she did, but she was also scared of what her dad would do, and that fear had always kept her quiet. She had seen the things her dad was capable of, watched him beat her older brothers, and then make them lie to protect him.

She had experienced his anger plenty over the three years she was stuck with him, witnessed things that she wished she could forget, and now she was being asked to talk about it.

"Okay," Ava whispered more to herself than her brothers, "I'll tell you everything."

"Take your time," Brax replied.

Ava sat back down beside Brax, playing with her fingers, and staring at the ground. There was so much that had happened in those three years, things that her brothers would have never let her go through, and she wasn't sure where to start.

"For the first few months, things were okay… I was left alone most of the time, and dad would go with Rex to sort out business," Ava explained, "The first time I was made to make a delivery, things went as smoothly as they could, and it went that way for a while."

"When did it get bad?" Casey asked.

"I did deliveries for about a year, before anything happened… I was supposed to drop off a package to some guy, and collect the money but things didn't go to plan."

"What happened?" Kyle added.

"The guy refused to pay what dad wanted… pulled out a gun on me, and threatened to shoot me if I didn't leave," Ava replied remembering the events clearly, "When I got back to the car and told dad what had happened, the first thing he said was that I should have stood my ground, even if that meant getting shot… apparently that's what loyalty is."

Ava watched as Brax and Heath tensed, both balling their hands into fists, but not moving. She realised then that she was shaking, flinching slightly when Brax took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"We won't let him hurt you Ava," Brax promised but Ava knew he couldn't promise that.

"What about the guy?" Heath inquired, "There's no way dad would let that go so easily."

"After I told him, he made me go back up there with Rex, and everything went to hell… before I could do anything Rex had the bloke on the floor and had pulled a gun from the back of his jeans. He put the gun in the blokes mouth, and pulled the trigger," Ava said feeling the tears roll down her cheeks, "There were no bullets in the chamber, but Rex was smirking as he pulled the trigger, and eventually the guy paid up… Rex roughed him up and we left."

"What did dad do to you?" Brax asked with a knowing look on his face.

"He hit me a few times, the usual… told me that I needed to toughen up," Ava mumbled, "Things didn't get any better after that."

"You should never have been involved in anything like that, I'm sorry Ava," Brax stated not pushing her to tell them anymore.

"Is it okay if I go for a walk?" Ava inquired needing to clear her head.

"Of course, be careful though and ring us if you need us, or if you see the Barrett's," Brax ordered.

Ava left heading for the beach, where she sat looking out over the waves, and allowing herself to forget again. It was an hour before Ava spotted Dex walking towards her, causing a smile to spread across her face, and her stomach to flip.

"Hey Avatar," Dex shouted with a grin as Ava stood up.

"Hey," Ava replied hugging Dex who automatically hugged her back, "Want to go for a walk?"

"Sure."

Linking her arm through Dex's, they walked up towards the diner, and headed inside finding a table. Ava had spent a lot of time on the beach and sitting in the diner, but she had come to realize that it wasn't where you spent your time… it was who you spent your time with that mattered.


End file.
